The Effects of Material and Configuration on the

Acoustic Response of an Impact Stop

A Major Qualifying Project

Submitted to the Faculty
Of the
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Bachelor of Science
By

_____________________________
Adam B. Belanger
_____________________________
Daniel R. Mallette
_____________________________
John R. Meade

_____________________________
Professor Diana A. Lados

_____________________________
Professor Robert L. Norton

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project would not have been possible without the aid of a number of members of the
WPI community. The team would like to acknowledge the following individuals in particular for
their time and effort:

Professor Diana A. Lados

Professor Robert L. Norton

Corey Maynard

Anastasios Gavras

Doug Peterson

Dr. Boquan Li

Adam Sears

Torbjorn Bergstrom

ABSTRACT
The noise levels on factory floors have been historically a concern with respect to
workers health. The goal of this project was to investigate various materials and configurations
that will minimize noise output upon repetitive impact. This was accomplished by first
constructing a sound testing and evaluation system, then preparing testing prototypes and
evaluating their sound responses, and ultimately optimizing the materials and geometries for
acoustic dampening. These results could be beneficially implemented for various applications
including impact stops in production facilities where each stop is hit hundreds of times per
minute contributing to high decibel levels on the production floor i.e., applications which
require both strength for dimensional accuracy and low acoustic response. The results and
findings from this investigation will be presented and discussed.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Permanent hearing loss due to sound levels in the workplace has been a historical cause
for concern. Every year over 300,000 healthy life years are lost due to occupational hearing loss
in developed countries, nearly 4 million in developing countries (1). Our sponsor recognizes this
issue and has begun the process of reducing noise levels on their production floors. Methods
such as encasing a machine inside a sound proof box have proven effective but expensive. As
such, a cheaper and easier method of sound reduction is desired. One identified source of high
sound levels are impact stops which are utilized on many of the production machines. An impact
stop is a small piece of hardened tool steel which is ground to a specific height in order to control
the stopping location of an arm driven by a cam.
One of the goals of this project was to identify changes in material and configuration of
the impact stop which result in the greatest decrease in sound output. Additionally, changes in
the material of the hammer which impacts the stop were examined. A second goal for this
project was to develop a testing procedure that produced consistent, repeatable, and reliable
results.
In order to achieve these results a detailed methodology was developed. One of the first
steps was proper material selection. Our research indicated that two material properties relevant
to this project were Mechanical Loss Coefficient (a materials ability to dissipate vibration) and
Youngs Modulus (the stiffness of a material). Using Granta software, a variety of different
metals was selected. Additionally, the affect of porosity on sound was a topic of interest, so two
types of porous metals were obtained. A thorough microstructural analysis was done on all of

the materials in an attempt to fine correlation between microstructure and the sound output
during testing.
Material prototypes for the impact stops were developed in several configurations:

Single Material Stop

o The same geometry with only variable being material from prototype to prototype

Cored Stop
o Had a hole drilled in the center of the stop and filled with a damping material

Coated Stop
o Had a polymer coating around the circumference of the stop

Cored and Coated

o Had a hole drilled in the stop and filled with a polymer, in addition to a polymer
coating around the circumference of the stop.
A testing apparatus was developed using as much of the sponsors original machinery as

possible, this was done to as closely as possibly replicate the end conditions on the actual
production machines. A solenoid driven ram was connected to the slide and the slide housing
was secured to a base plate.
After running the prototype stops and hammers on the testing apparatus, some clear
results were obtained. All stops with a changed configuration (cored, coated, etc.) performed
better than a single material stop. Changing the material of the hammer further reduced the
sound output upon impact, leading to a maximum tested sound reduction of 2.4 dBA.
Observations between microstructure and sound output were seen. However, a more in depth
study is required before any conclusive statements can be made in that area. Additionally, a
relationship between the ratio of a materials Youngs Modulus / Hardness to the sound output
was seen; however, more data are needed in this case to further validate the relationship.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 2
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4
Table of Figures .............................................................................................................................. 8
Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................. 10
1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 11

Background ............................................................................................................................ 13

2.1

Sound Absorbers ............................................................................................................ 13

2.2

A-weighting.................................................................................................................... 16

2.3

Sound Absorbing Materials ............................................................................................ 18

2.4

Joining Processes............................................................................................................ 20

2.4.1

Brazing .................................................................................................................... 20

2.4.2

Diffusion Welding .................................................................................................. 22

2.5

Cryogenic Freezing ........................................................................................................ 23

2.6

Currently Implemented Noise Reduction Technology................................................... 24

2.6.1

Anti-Noise Platen .................................................................................................... 24

2.6.2

Back Stopper and Damper Plate ............................................................................. 25

Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 25
3.1

Replicating Machine Conditions .................................................................................... 26

3.2

Test Apparatus Design ................................................................................................... 27

3.3

Test Samples .................................................................................................................. 31

3.3.1 Test Sample Design ....................................................................................................... 31

3.3.2 Test Sample Manufacture.............................................................................................. 33
3.4

Material Selection .......................................................................................................... 33

3.5

Microstructural Analysis ................................................................................................ 36

3.5.1

1045 Carbon Steel ................................................................................................... 36

3.5.2

4140 Low Alloy Steel ............................................................................................. 38

3.5.3

Gray Cast Iron ......................................................................................................... 39

3.5.4

Ductile Cast Iron ..................................................................................................... 39

3.5.5

Phosphor Bronze ..................................................................................................... 40

6

3.5.7
4

Aluminum 6061 ...................................................................................................... 42

Results and Analysis .............................................................................................................. 43

4.1

Initial Testing at Sponsors Location ............................................................................. 43

4.2

Solid Model Development and Structural Analysis ....................................................... 44

4.3

Testing Results from Previous Teams Samples Generated at the Sponsors Location 48

4.4 Testing Results on the New Materials Generated at WPI ................................................... 50

4.5

Microstructural/dBA Output Correlations ..................................................................... 53

5 Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................... 56

Appendix A: Joining Processes Reference Tables........................................................................ 59
Appendix B: Solid Model Assemblies .......................................................................................... 63
Appendix C: Etchants ................................................................................................................... 66
Appendix D: Relevant Material Properties and Processing .......................................................... 67
References ..................................................................................................................................... 68

TABLE OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: ORIGINAL HARD STOP GEOMETRY.
FIGURE 2: EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF POLYURETHANE SPRAY FOAM SOUND
ABSORPTION ON PARTICULAR FREQUENCIES
FIGURE 3: SLIDE AND HAMMER EXPLODED ASSEMBLY VIEW.
FIGURE 4: SPONSOR-PROVIDED ASSEMBLY.
FIGURE 5: ALTERNATE VIEW OF SPONSOR PROVIDED ASSEMBLY.
FIGURE 6: REPLICA OF ORIGINAL TEST APPARATUS DESIGN.
FIGURE 7: ALTERNATE VIEW OF ORIGINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.
FIGURE 8: FINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.
FIGURE 9: ALTERNATE VIEW OF FINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.
FIGURE 10: PROTOTYPE SOLID STOP.
FIGURE 11: PROTOTYPE COATED STOP.
FIGURE 12: PROTOTYPE CORED STOP.
FIGURE 13: PROTOTYPE CORED AND COATED STOP.
FIGURE 14: PROTOTYPE HAMMER.
FIGURE 15: MATERIAL SELECTION (MECHANICAL LOSS COEFFICIENT VS.
YOUNGS MODULUS).
FIGURE 16: 1045 CARBON STEEL: LONGITUDIONAL.
FIGURE 17: 1045 CARBON STEEL: TRANSVERSE.
FIGURE 18: 1045 CARBON STEEL: TRANSVERSE.
FIGURE 19: 4140 LOW ALLOY STEEL MICROSTRUCTURE: TRANSVERSE.
FIGURE 20:4140 LOW ALLOY STEEL MICROSTRUCTURE: LONGITUDIONAL.
FIGURE 21: GRAY CAST IRON: ETCHED WITH 2% NITAL.
FIGURE 22: DUCTILE CAST IRON: ETCHED WITH 2% NITAL.
FIGURE 23: PHOSPHOR BRONZE, ETCHED WITH CURRANS REAGENT.
FIGURE 24: POROUS BRONZE: POROUS OIL IMPREGNATED BRONZE.
FIGURE 25: POROUS BRONZE: DRY POROUS BRONE.
FIGURE 26: ALUMINUM ETCHED WITH KELLER'S REAGENT.
FIGURE 27: STANDARD HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 28: PROTOTYPE CYLINDRICAL STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 29: PROTOTYPE CYLINDRICAL CORED STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 30: STANDARD HARD STOP WITH HOLE STRESS DISTRUBTION.
FIGURE 31: SOLID BLOCK HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 32: CYLINDER HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 33: CYLINDER HARD STOP WITH HOLE STRESS DISTRIBUTION.
FIGURE 34: PRELIMINARY TESTING RESULTS.
FIGURE 35: FINAL RESULTS.
FIGURE 36: SOUND OUTPUT CORRELATION.

11
15
26
28
28
29
29
30
30
31
31
32
32
32
35
37
37
37
38
38
39
40
40
41
41
42
45
45
46
46
46
47
47
51
53
55
8

FIGURE 37: SPONSORSS MECHANISM ASSEMBLY REAR VIEW.

FIGURE 38: SPONSORS MECHANISM ASSEMBLY FRONT VIEW.
FIGURE 39: SPONSORS MECHANISM EXPLODED ASSMEBLY VIEW WITH
DRAWING DESIGNATIONS.

63
64
65

TABLE OF TABLES
TABLE 1: FACTOR OF SAFETY OF HARD STOPS ............................................................... 48
TABLE 2: PRELIMINARY TEST DATA................................................................................... 49
TABLE 3: PRELIMINARY TESTING RESULTS ..................................................................... 51
TABLE 4: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS .................................................................... 59
TABLE 5: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8 .... 60
TABLE 6: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8
(CONTINUED) ...................................................................................................................... 61
TABLE 7: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8
(CONTINUED) ...................................................................................................................... 61
TABLE 8: DIFFUSION WELDING COMBINATIONS OF METALS AND ALLOYS ........... 62
TABLE 9: ETCHANTS ................................................................................................................ 66
TABLE 10: MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND PROCESSING .................................................. 67

10

INTRODUCTION
Workplace conditions play a major role in the efficiency of a business. Companies in

the manufacturing sector typically have employees working close to machines, and therefore, a
safe workplace environment is essential.

This includes safety not only from immediate physical

dangers, but also, from long-term dangers, such as degradation of hearing due to excessive sound
levels. Studies have shown that extensive exposure to sound levels equal to or higher than 85
decibels can cause the loss of hearing. In many manufacturing settings, such as those of the
sponsor, sound levels emitted by machines on the assembly line have frequently been recorded at
higher levels than 85 decibels. In these conditions, hearing protection must be worn. Other than
the cost of providing hearing protection, its use is also an inconvenience to those on the floor,
often hindering important communication, or not providing sufficient protection
One particular component of assembly line machines that has been identified as a source
of increased sound levels is a hard stop. A hard stop consists of a piece of hardened tool steel
mounted at a fixed location to provide a controlled stop while maintaining tolerance of location.
A slider mechanism of hardened tool steel repeatedly drives up against the hard stop, creating a
loud noise. The slider must strike the hard stop in the same location every time to ensure
accuracy; therefore the hard stop must remain dimensionally stable. The hard stop is in the
shape of a T and is shown in Figure 1.

FIGURE 1: ORIGINAL HARD STOP GEOMETRY.

11

AISI A6 tool steel was selected for the hard stop material most likely due to its inherent
strength, durability, and hardness. Although the hard stops are engineered well for strength,
they exhibit poor acoustic damping properties.
The sponsor has already started to take measures to reduce the sound levels on assembly
line machines. Many new machines have redesigned cams which reduce velocity at the point
where impact occurs. This reduced the force impacting the stop, and reduced some of the noise
produced. Some machines have also been enclosed in sound dampening units. These units
encase the machine entirely with several access doors for maintenance and, it should go without
saying, these enclosures are expensive and make access to the machine more difficult.
Reducing noise through a redesign of the hard stops will be cheaper than other noise
damping mechanisms (such as enclosing units) and can be easily retrofitted to current machines.
Therefore, the goal of this project is to reduce the audible noise output of the hard stop impact,
while maintaining accuracy in the production process. This is accomplished through a
combined method by concomitantly re-evaluating the material used and redesigning the
geometry of the hard stop and the hammer that impacts the hard stop.

12

BACKGROUND
This section discusses topics that were researched to evaluate their possible role in

reducing noise emissions from a mechanical stop. Research into currently implemented noise
reduction techniques was conducted to have a working knowledge of why certain materials or
designs are good candidates for noise reduction. Topics such as diffusion bonding and brazing
were researched in order to understand ways to effectively connect materials, specifically,
layering different materials. Not much is known about the effects of cryogenic freezing on
materials acoustic properties, however, it was researched to help determine if there is an effect
on acoustics or acoustical dampening.

2.1

Sound Absorbers
There are three main categories of sound absorbing materials: porous materials, panel

absorbers, and resonators (2). The mounting of the absorber has a large bearing on the
effectiveness. Each one acts through a different mechanism of sound absorption or dampening.
Below are brief descriptions of each method.
Porous materials - These materials contain voids that convert acoustic energy to heat,
dissipating the sound that goes through them. Thickness of the coating plays an important part in
how effective the sound dampening is. Thicker configurations of porous materials increase low
frequency absorption (3).
Panel Absorbers - These structures have membranes that respond to sound pressure exerted by
adjacent air molecules by flexing. Panels are most efficient at absorbing low frequencies. Due
to the requirements of the project, this technique is not likely to be utilized.
13

Resonators - These are structures with holes or slots connected to a trapped quantity of air.
Resonators act on a narrow band of frequency. What frequency is absorbed depends on the
shape of the cavity. The resonant frequency is governed by the size of the opening, the length of
the neck, and the volume of air trapped in the chamber. Typically, perforated materials only
absorb the mid-frequency range. Due to the part geometries for this project, this technique will
most likely not be utilized.
Based on our research, porous materials appear to be the best candidate for a sound
absorption coating to be incorporated in the sponsors impact stop. Several types of porous
materials were looked into, such as polyurethane based foams, fiber glass, activated carbon fiber,
and spray cellulose.
It is well documented that polyurethane foams are useful in absorbing sound due to their
porous structure. It can come as an open or closed cell structure and can be sprayed on. Open
cell foams are considered better for sound absorption, but are soft and not recommended for uses
that require strength or rigidity (4). Figure 2 shows the effect of thickness on frequency
absorption by closed cell polyurethane spray foams (5).

14

Coefficient of Sound Absorption

Effect of Thickness on Frequency Absorption.

1
0.8
0.25 inch

0.6

0.375 inch

0.4

0.5 inch
0.2

0.75 inch

1 inch
0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Frequency (Hz)
FIGURE 2: EFFECT OF THICKNESS OF POLYURETHANE SPRAY FOAM SOUND ABSORPTION ON PARTICULAR
FREQUENCIES

Fiberglass can be used for sound absorption, but research has shown it has been more
commonly used for thermal and sound insulation in residential settings rather than industry.
Sprayed cellulose is claimed to insulate sound better than fiberglass. Carbon fiber is used in
automotive fields for both high strength to weight ratio and sound absorbing properties.
Activated carbon fibers are also being considered for sound dampening applications. This would
be produced by adding carbon to a nonwoven fabric like cotton, then having it undergo
cabonization and activation. Carbonization is a thermochemical process (pyrolysis), which
converts carbonaceous materials into active carbon products. Activated carbon fiber nonwoven
(ACF) has been shown to absorb higher incident sound waves than glass fibers or the nonwoven
fabric alone.
Although there has been extensive research into sound absorbing materials, many fail to
discuss the absorption of frequencies above 6000 Hz. Due to human hearing being in the range

15

of 20 20,000 Hz, and the peak sensitivity being at 4,000 Hz, the range of frequencies that need
to be considered in the selection of sound absorbing materials had to be increased.

2.2

A-weighting
Sound affects human hearing in ways that differ from the sound pressure wave intensity.

Human hearing is more sensitive to frequencies in the range of human speech, around 4000 Hz.
To account for this phenomenon, a weighting scale is necessary to adjust the sound intensity at a
given frequency to what human hearing would actually perceive.
Historically, A-weighting is the most common weighting form. More recent studies have
shown that A-weighting may not be the most accurate way to consider perceived loudness, but
A-weighting is still the only legally required weighting for sound measuring, so by using it
readings could be easily compared with previous measurements. A-weighting may be inaccurate
due to its original development and use for pure tones, and not for random noise. One concern
about using A-weighting is that unless there is a filter to remove frequencies over 20 kHz, which
arent detectable by the human ear, the resulting readings will not be accurate. Another
limitation of A-weighting is that it devalues low frequencies and therefore should not be used for
less intense sound levels that have significant contributions from low frequencies (6). Cweighting is considered a better measurement for more impure tones with harmonics. Bweighting is a compromise between A and C weighting, and is generally considered to be less
accurate.
The formula for A-weighting is shown in Equation 1.

16

12200 2 4
2 +20.62 2 +12200 2 ( 2 + 107.72 )( 2 + 737.92 )

(1)

This equation takes the frequency analyzed and weighs it to reduce effects of frequencies
under 1000 Hz and over 7000 Hz, while increasing the effects of the frequencies between these
values. A method for converting this weighted value into a sound level in decibels is shown in
Equation 2. Due to the weighting method, the value must be normalized, typically at 1000 Hz.
This is the reason for addition of a value of 2 to the result.
= 2 + 20 log
[ ]

(2)
)

The formula for C-weighting is shown in Equation 3.

12200 2 2
2 +20.62 2 +12200 2

(3)

The formula to converting C-weighted data into decibels is shown in Equation 4.

= 0.06 + 20 log
[ ]

(4)
)

17

FIGURE 3 - SOUND LEVEL WEIGHTINGS.

For comparison purposes, a value that represents the loudness of the material must be
calculated. Thus, taking the RMS average of the results, as shown in Equation 5, will yield a
value of intensity that better reflects the perceived loudness. This will be used in this project.

(5)
)
)

2.3

Sound Absorbing Materials

Materials that can withstand the required loads while also having sound absorbing

qualities were investigated. Materials with controlled porosity represent an important class of
materials for sound absorption. These materials retain many of the properties of their solid/fully
dense counterparts, plus increased specific stiffness, sound absorbing capabilities, and low

18

thermal conductivities. There are several methods of creating a porous metal, and a few will be
discussed here.
One method of producing a porous metal structure is by sintering metal fibers. This
achieved by using a drawing method to make metal fibers in the size range of 50 100 m in
diameter (7). These fibers are pressed together to make a solid compact with controlled porosity.
As porosity increases, higher frequencies are absorbed easier. Increasing fiber diameter shifts
frequencies absorbed lower. Better sound performance is achieved by making a composite
structure where the outer layer more porous than the inner layer (8) . If the outer layer is not
very porous, it is the limiting factor on the sound absorbing capabilities, even if the subsequent
layers are more porous. Layering differing materials with different porosity improves low
frequency absorption, and helps higher frequency sound absorption as well.
Another technique that can be used to create porous metal is with the use of a foaming
agent to create bubbles within a powder metallurgy part during firing (9). This is created by
mixing metal powder and foaming agent compacting to form a dense semi-finished product
without any residual open porosity. Porosity in the range of 40% - 90% can be achieved this
way. Less than 1% of the foaming agent is required if metal hydrides are used typically.
A method of producing open celled porous metals is by using a polyurethane sponge as a
template for a replication process. The template of reticulated polyurethane is then covered in a
slurry infiltration. Then the template is thermally removed. The product is now debindered and
referred to as a brown structure. This brown compact is then sintered. This method allows for
cell size of 0.4 5.0 mm and porosity levels of 75 - 90%.

19

Another structure that uses a template is the hollow sphere structure. These are produced
by a powder coating of a Styrofoam network. Then the shape of the structure can be controlled
using the coated Styrofoam spheres. The form can then be debindered and sintered. Cell size
can be evenly controlled to sizes in the range of 0.5 10 mm and cell wall thickness can be made
to 20m 1,000 m. The wall can be sintered fully dense as well as porous.

2.4

Joining Processes
Previous attempts at layering hard stops had been done with limited success using various

adhesives. Different joining processes that have the ability to join two dissimilar materials in a
permanent manner were researched. The most promising processes were brazing and diffusion
welding which are described in further detail in the following sections.
2.4.1 BRAZING
According to the American Welding Society, brazing is a series of welding processes that
join two materials via heating and a filler metal that has a liquidous temperature above 840F
(450C) and below the liquidous temperature of the base materials. There are two methods that
are used for bonding the base materials: capillary action and braze welding. Capillary action, in
this case, draws the liquid filler metal into the gap between two material surfaces placed on top
of each other (10). Braze welding is very similar to the standard welding process where the filler
metal is placed at the joint surface and capillary action is not required for the joint to be made.
The capillary action process is of most interest in project because of the examination of layered
designs. The heat can be provided through several different sources, including furnaces, gas

20

torches, induction, and resistance. For this project, the gas torch method is the best choice
because it is readily available and relatively quick and easy to set up and use.
Brazing could be considered a candidate for materials bonding for several reasons
including its versatility in bonding dissimilar materials, and the temperatures reached are
generally low, i.e., lower risk of melting / deforming / altering the microstructure of the base
materials. The joints are strong, especially in comparison to soldering, are ductile; and have very
good vibration resistance. The skills required to properly braze are easily acquired and,
especially in the case of the torch method, simply and quickly applied. Materials that can be
brazed include: ferrous and nonferrous metals along with their alloys, ceramics, graphite, and
diamond.
Various materials have various responses to brazing. The best suited metals are those
that do not easily form oxides such as gold, platinum, copper, and cobalt. Those that are in the
mid range are refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum; those that have good heat and
wear resistance, but poor oxidation and corrosion resistance. Metals that have very aggressive
oxide layer formation, such as titanium or aluminum, are the hardest to braze. An oxide free
surface must be created in order to ensure proper bonding of the filler metal to the material. For
those less reactive metals, physical removal of the oxide layer will be sufficient. For more active
metals, additional measures such as fluxes and/or controlled atmospheres are required to
remove/prevent oxide layers from forming before/during the brazing process. For ceramics,
typically a metal alloy is bonded to the surface to be brazed. Some materials forms oxides
easily, such as aluminum, to bond with the nonmetallic surface, and others are typically resistant
to oxidation, such as copper.

21

Filler metals must be selected by application basis. Only certain alloy filler metals can be
used for joining two specific materials. Some material combinations cannot be brazed because
of this. Appendix A contains a partial list of base material combinations and the suitable filler
metal to bond them.
For properly designing a brazed joint, there are several items that must be taken into
account. The first consideration is joint design and material selection depending on the desired
properties with respect to mechanical, electrical, corrosion resistance, etc. Cleaning of the
surfaces is critical; any dirt, oil, etc. will not allow that area to be properly bonded. Determining
the need for any fluxes or atmospheric controls is next. The fixture to hold the base materials
while they are being brazed is critical; a gap of 0.002 - 0.005 is ideal for the liquid filler metal
to be drawn into. The heating method must be determined and temperature as controlled as
possible; ideally, the heating temperature will be between 50F - 100F above the liquidous
temperature of the filler metal. However, there is a very small chance that the properties of the
material being bonded may change due to the increased temperature (10).
2.4.2 DIFFUSION WELDING

Diffusion welding, also known as diffusion bonding, is a solid state welding process that
involved the bonding of two materials through the use of heat, pressure, time, and a controlled
atmosphere. Two faces of the materials to be bonded are placed together under pressure and
brought to a temperature within 50% - 70% of the lower melting point of the two materials (11).
The pressure applied must be sufficiently high to cause plastic deformation at the contacting
surface to ensure creep of the material to fill the voids between the two surfaces; it is typically
close to the yield stress of the material. Over the course of a predetermined time, atoms from

22

each material diffuse across the interface and close all gaps that were present upon initial mating.
The result is a bond that has similar mechanical properties to those of the base materials.
There are several characteristics of diffusion welding that make it a process of particular
interest to this project. It allows for the bonding of dissimilar materials that include metals and
ceramics. The joint created, if done properly, has the strength and ductility at least that of the
lesser ductile or strong material. Table 14 in Appendix A gives a list of common materials
involved in diffusion bonding and their compatibility with each other to form proper joints.
There is no additional processing required to clean up the joint after the materials are bonded.
Materials with thin oxide layers can be bonded with the prior removal of those layers. Also,
there are no dangerous gasses or chemicals involved in the process.
In order to have good bonding, several conditions about the materials and the joining
surfaces must be met, in addition to their initial compatibility. Some joints require a thin layer of
filler metal to bond, which can be either an actual insert or plating on the joining surfaces. The
joining surfaces must be very clean and free of oil, dirt, etc. The ideal surface finish is on the
order of 4m, and any thick layers of oxide will have to be removed. If any one of these
conditions is not met, the bond can be far weaker than desired or not occur at all (11).

2.5

Cryogenic Freezing
Cryogenic refers to temperatures that range from -100C to absolute zero (12). Just as

heating a material has effects on its mechanical properties, cryogenically freezing a material also
has noticeable effects on a materials properties. The crystalline structure of a metal has a large
impact on how it behaves at low temperatures. For example, metals with a body centered cubic
23

(BCC) structure have a large increase in yield strength at low temperatures, but suffer a loss in
ductility. On the other hand, metals with a face centered cubic (FCC) structure typically have a
small increase in yield strength, but retain room temperature ductility (12). The retained
austenite content of steel can be reduced from 10% (room temperature concentration) to about
3% by cooling it with liquid nitrogen (12). This increases the content of harder martensite in the
steel. It is important to understand the effects of cryogenic freezing on a metal because it may
have undesired effects on a material, such as a decrease in ductility (e.g. some carbon steels)
(12). Cryogenic freezing has also an effect on the strength of adhesives; for example, vinyl and
rubber phenolic adhesives typically become weaker at low temperatures, whereas epoxy phenolic
and filled epoxide have a small increase in strength (12). The different mechanical properties
that result from cryogenic freezing make it an interesting process in this study. An
understanding of its effects on various materials and adhesives that can be used to hold layers of
different materials together is important to evaluate its acoustic dampening effects.

2.6

Currently Implemented Noise Reduction Technology

Research was done to optimize current methods of noise reduction. Our research was

focused on noise dampening technology used in a manufacturing environment. The following

sections detail the technology behind several patents on noise reduction.
2.6.1 ANTI-NOISE P LATEN
A platen is an element in a machine that is used to make impressions on a media.
Platens are used in many types of machines; however, one of the most notable uses is in impact
printers. In these machines, platens are flat and typically made of metal (13). Metal is chosen
24

for its ability to retain shape after many impacts, allowing for accurate manufacture up to
tolerance specifications. An invention from 2003 was created with the goal of improving the
current noise reduction technology in printing presses. This patented invention proposed that
the metal of a platen be imbedded in a plastic body to absorb vibrations and protect the metal
(13).
2.6.2 BACK S TOPPER AND DAMPER P LATE
As mentioned earlier, the greater the surface area of a part, the louder the noise
emanating from it will be. This invention capitalizes on that fact that minimizing the surface
area of stopper plate in an impact print head results in less noise emanation and vibration (14).
Behind this stopper plate is a damper plate which is specifically engineered to further reduce
noise from this machine. The following excerpt from the patent details the structure and
materials selection for the back stopper plate:
A damper plate made of metal, plastic or rubber, or a laminate of those materials, is
placed to the rear of the stopper plate. The best structure is one having outer layers of
metal and a middle layer of plastic material. The materials are selected based upon their
ability to resist heat and abrasion in addition to having a high damping coefficient. (14)

METHODOLOGY
A clear and consistent approach to achieving the goals of this project was necessary in

order to produce relevant and reliable results. Therefore, there were several key considerations
in our methodology to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the testing, namely:

25

A testing apparatus that as closely as possible replicated the conditions at the sponsors
facility

Developing prototype hard stops which minimized the variables from prototype to
prototype, allowing for a clear interpretation of results

3.1

A data collection procedure which was consistent, repeatable, and reliable.

Replicating Machine Conditions

In order to accurately test the designed stops, it was important to replicate the actual

machine conditions as closely as possible. The first step in this process was to create a solid
model of the entire assembly. After creating solid models of all the parts utilizing SolidWorks,
the mass can be automatically calculated for all relevant machine parts. In this case, the relevant
machine parts are the slide and the hammer. An exploded assembly view can be seen in Figure
3.

Hammer

Slide

FIGURE 3: SLIDE AND HAMMER EXPLODED ASSEMBLY VIEW.

26

Once the masses of the moving parts were determined, the acceleration from the tests was
used to calculate the impact force of the hammer using = .

This knowledge was found

to be very important in this study. A force transducer rated for 500 lbs was used in series with
the testing apparatus to feed the impact data to a frequency analyzer. By looking at the power
spectrum with the frequency analyzer, it was determined that the impact from the testing
apparatus is significantly more than what was measured at the sponsors location.
In the previous years team a solenoid hammer was used to conduct testing. This device
was housed in a metal box and moved a hardened steel tip on the end of a piston. This
piston/hammer device was controlled via a foot pedal to send the electrical signal to actuate the
solenoid. The first use of the impact force will be on the piston/hammer testing device used by
the previous team to get acoustical data. The machine can have various forces dialed in for the
hammer, and when the actual impact force is known, it can be dialed into the acoustical testing
device. The end of the piston was eventually modified so that a stop can be mounted to it. The
hammer and slide can then be mounted to fixed locations on the same surface or plate as the
testing device, and when the piston is activated, the stop is hit against a fixed hammer and slide.
Mounting the hammer, slide, and acoustical testing device to the same surface will greatly assist
in ensuring consistent conditions for acoustical testing.

3.2

Test Apparatus Design

In order to accurately replicate the condition inside the actual production line machines, a

testing apparatus was designed and built. The sponsor provided an assembly of the actual

27

mechanism that contains the impact stop and hammer. A solid model representation of the
assembly is shown below in Figures 4 and 5.

FIGURE 4: SPONSOR-PROVIDED ASSEMBLY.

FIGURE 5: ALTERNATE VIEW OF SPONSOR PROVIDED ASSEMBLY.

The primary components of this assembly are the impact stop, highlighted in red,
attached to the body through which runs a slide with the hammer attached, highlighted in blue.
An exploded assembly view with further detail can be seen in Appendix B. The testing
apparatus was constructed after several design iterations. The original design is shown in
Figures 6 and 7.
28

FIGURE 6: REPLICA OF ORIGINAL TEST APPARATUS DESIGN.

FIGURE 7: ALTERNATE VIEW OF ORIGINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.

The apparatus was designed to securely hold the sponsors assembly, an impact hammer,
and two force transducers. The original design placed the sponsors assembly on two pieces of
c type channel and had a backing plate with a spring to ensure the slide returned to its original
position after every hit. The base plate was created with slots in order to allow for positional
adjustment of the equipment for optimal testing conditions and attachment of other equipment, if
necessary. The final design, shown in Figures 8 and 9, flips the sponsors assembly on its side to
allow for easy access to the impact stop for observation and quick changeover.

29

FIGURE 8: FINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.

FIGURE 9: ALTERNATE VIEW OF FINAL TEST APPARATUS MOCKUP.

The backing plate was also eliminated in the final design because it was determined that
with proper alignment, the impact hammers internal spring was enough to return the slide to its
starting position. The connecting piece between the transducers was modified and the knuckle
on the sponsors assembly was eliminated. It was determined that the original connector created
ternary impacts within the system, and reduced the force sent to the impact stop. The powered
hammer is highlighted in yellow, force transducers in green, and the final connector in gray,
between the transducers and the sponsors hammer.

30

3.3

Test Samples

3.3.1 TEST SAMPLE DESIGN

Cylindrical samples were designed with a rectangular base and attachment holes placed
in the base. The stock base dimensions were used to ensure a proper fit into the actual
production mechanism. The choice of a cylindrical impact stop was to maximize the accessible
surface area due to virtually no clearance along the back edge of the stop when it is installed in
the machine. Figure 10 shows a solid model of a solid prototype stop. These stops were
manufactured in once piece from a single material.

FIGURE 10: PROTOTYPE SOLID STOP.

A coated configuration is shown in Figure 11. The shape is exactly the same as the solid stop,
with an additional coating applied to the outside surface of the stop. The model also shows a
portion of the coating missing along the back edge of the stop, and this was to allow for
clearance of the slide.

FIGURE 11: PROTOTYPE COATED STOP.

31

A cored configuration is shown in Figure 12. The shape is the same as the solid stop, but the
core of the original structural material was replaced with a dampening material.

FIGURE 12: PROTOTYPE CORED STOP.

The final prototype stop configuration was a combination of the cored and coated stops discussed
above; the solid model is shown in Figure 13.

FIGURE 13: PROTOTYPE CORED AND COATED STOP.

Prototype hammers were manufactured using the original geometry, as shown in Figure14, but
changing the material.

FIGURE 14: PROTOTYPE HAMMER.

32

3.3.2 TEST SAMPLE MANUFACTURE

All prototype stops were manufactured using a two step process, with additional steps for
the cored and coated stops. Once the blank was cut and faced, it was fixtured, and the bottom
rectangular portion was milled and the holes were drilled. The milled base was then fixtured to
mill out the top cylindrical profile. A set of soft jaws were created to fixture each part, while the
top profile is milled to allow for damage free clamping and eliminating the need for the use of
parallels. Radii were also milled into the soft jaws to fixture the cylindrical stock used for some
of the stops, eliminating the need for a machinable collet. For the stops that were coated, the
coating was then applied by hand as evenly and as thick as possible to allow for access to the
mounting holes and keep the rear of the stop flush with the back edge of the base. For these
prototypes with a core, the center of the cylinder was then removed, and if the core was a solid
material, a slightly tapered core was milled and press fit.
Prototype hammers were also produced using a two step method. A blank was placed on
parallels, and the top profile was milled and the holes were drilled. The part was then turned
over, and the bottom faced until the proper height was achieved.

3.4

Material Selection
In order for the impact stop to maintain its structural and dimensional integrity, careful

consideration had to be taken when selecting materials for testing. The two mechanical
properties that materials were ranked on during the initial material selection were Youngs
Modulus and Mechanical Loss Coefficient. Youngs Modulus was considered because the
mechanical stop must be stiff and retain very tight tolerances. Mechanical Loss Coefficient is a

33

measure of the materials ability to dissipate vibrational energy, and thus, was considered an
important material property for this study.
The initial metal groups considered were steels, aluminum alloys, cast irons, and bronzes.
After reviewing a case study in the book Materials Selection in Mechanical Design by Michael
Ashby (15), in which the material selection process was detailed for a stiff, high damping shaker
table was detailed (with similar mechanical requirements to the impact stop), and the best
material was determined to be a magnesium alloy, magnesium was briefly considered before
possible difficulties in manufacturing took it of the materials list. The Granta CES EduPack
2009 software was utilized to create plots ranking materials by selected properties, and was
subsequently used to select materials for acoustic testing. Figure 15 shows the materials which
were selected and give a reference for how their relevant mechanical properties compare to each
others.

It should also be noted that 1045 Carbon Steel was used in the study. However, since

this material was not available in the Granta database, 1040 Carbon Steel was used for the plot
instead of 1045.

34

FIGURE 15: MATERIAL SELECTION (MECHANICAL LOSS COEFFICIENT VS. YOUNGS MODULUS).

An initial review of Figure 15 indicates that the current impact stop material (A6 tool
Steel) has one of the lowest mechanical loss coefficients on the graph, meaning that compared to
the other selected materials, it has the lowest acoustical dampening. Relevant material
properties for these metals are listed in Appendix D. Stops with identical geometry were made
from all the materials shown in Figure 15.
In addition to the material properties previously mentioned, the effect of porosity was
also investigated. Three different types of bronze were obtained (one cast, one porous PM and
one oil-impregnated PM). Like other materials examined, porous bronze was mainly a
candidate for filler or damping material, and not a main structural material. These metals were
not listed in the CES EduPack software, which is why they are not listed in Figure 15.

35

3.5

Microstructural Analysis
A thorough microstructural analysis was conducted on all the tested materials. The

scope of this analysis was to relate characteristic features of a materials microstructure to the
sound readings produced during impact. For extruded materials, part of this analysis was to
examine the same material from two different orientations: 1) along the direction of extrusion
(longitudinal) and 2) across the direction of extrusions (transverse). The sections below describe
the microstructure of the materials used for this project as well as the process used to create these
images. Observations relating the microstructures presented in this section will be discussed later
in this report.
3.5.1 1045 CARBON S TEEL
The samples of 1045 carbon steel were prepared by manual grinding with SiC paper
down to 600 grit and then automatically polished. After polishing, the samples were etched with
2% Nital to reveal the grains and phases present in the microstructure. Because the samples of
1045 steel were extruded, microstructure was viewed along the axis of extrusion (longitudinal)
and across the axis of extrusion (transverse). The optical photos shown in Figures 24-26illustrate
microstructure containing two phases: ferrite and pearlite.

36

FIGURE 16: 1045 CARBON STEEL: LONGITUDIONAL.

FIGURE 17: 1045 CARBON STEEL: TRANSVERSE.

FIGURE 18: 1045 CARBON STEEL: TRANSVERSE.

37

3.5.2 4140 LOW ALLOY S TEEL

The 4140 Low Alloy Steel samples were prepared in the exact same manner as the 1045
Carbon Steel samples. The microstructure of this sample revealed a primarily pearlitic matrix.
Darker bands were observed along the axis of extrusion, which were only visible in the
transverse direction.

FIGURE 19: 4140 LOW ALLOY STEEL MICROSTRUCTURE: TRANSVERSE.

FIGURE 20:4140 LOW ALLOY STEEL MICROSTRUCTURE: LONGITUDIONAL.

38

3.5.3 GRAY CAST IRON

The gray cast iron samples were prepared by manually grinding down to 600 grit using
SiC paper. They were then manually polished and then etched with 2% Nital. In this type of
cast iron, the graphite takes the form of flakes which are represented by the black phases
embedded in a matrix of pearlite. This material was produced by continuous casting resulting in
changes in the size of the graphite flakes based on how close to the center of the original slab the
sample was taken from. The closer to the center of the original cast slab, the larger the flakes
are.

FIGURE 21: GRAY CAST IRON: ETCHED WITH 2% NITAL.

3.5.4 DUCTILE CAST IRON

The samples of ductile cast iron were prepared in the same manner as the gray cast iron
discussed earlier. In this type of cast iron, the graphite takes the form of spheres or nodules
represented by the black phases in Figure 31. These nodules are embedded in a matrix of ferrite
and pearlite. The ferrite is the white colored regions surrounding the nodules, while the pearlite
is the darker region between the nodules (which consists of a eutectoid ferrite and cementite).
39

FIGURE 22: DUCTILE CAST IRON: ETCHED WITH 2% NITAL.

3.5.5 PHOSPHOR BRONZE

The cast phosphor bronze was prepared by manually grinding down to 600 grit using SiC
paper, and then manually polishing to a mirror shine. The samples were then etched with
Currans reagent revealing a denritic microstructure shown in Figure 32.

FIGURE 23: PHOSPHOR BRONZE, ETCHED WITH CURRANS REAGENT.

40

3.5.6

D RY B RONZE & O IL IMPREGNATED B RONZE

The two types of porous materials examined in this study were dry bronze and oil
impregnated bronze. These materials were produced by a powder metallurgy (PM) process
resulting in a unique microstructure which is very different from extruded or cast materials. In
the dry bronze the pores are left as is, which results in small air pockets throughout the
material. In oil impregnated bronze, oil is sucked through the bronze filling the pores,
resulting in oil filed pores. These samples were produced by manually grinding down to 600
grit using SiC paper followed by manual polishing. At this step in the process, the crevices filled
with oil or air were visible. However, in order to further reveal the microstructure, the samples
were etched with Currans reagent, which revealed the particle/grain boundaries.

FIGURE 24: POROUS BRONZE: POROUS OIL IMPREGNATED BRONZE.

FIGURE 25: POROUS BRONZE: DRY POROUS BRONE.

41

3.5.7 ALUMINUM 6061

The aluminum alloy that was selected in this project was a 6061 wrought T6 alloy. As
with the other materials, the aluminum samples were first manually ground down to 600 grit
using SiC paper. Following the grinding, the samples were manually polished. After polishing
to a mirror shine, the samples were etched with Kellers Reagent which revealed the grain
boundaries. Secondary phases are also visible as the dark spots.

FIGURE 26: ALUMINUM ETCHED WITH KELLER'S REAGENT.

42

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

4.1

Initial Testing at Sponsors Location

Testing on the acceleration of the impacting slider, and the sound produced by various

materials and configurations of hard stops was conducted at the sponsors location. The testing
was done in the sponsors maintenance shop, which is a quieter environment than the shop floor;
this helped to isolate the test sound from background noise. Samples were produced by the
previous years team, and ground to the required dimensional tolerances before testing. An
accelerometer was attached to the moving slide with a magnet. The piezoelectric accelerometer
had an excitation current supplied by signal monitor through a mini-coaxial cable. The signal
monitor was set up to read acceleration and frequency of the noise produced at the impact site.
A Casella sound level meter was placed 6 centimeters from the impact site to record maximum
and average sound levels.
Two trials were performed per arrangement to allow for statistical analysis of the results.
The standard hard stop was used at several operating speeds to determine the range of expected
values for sound readings. All further tests were run at a speed of 200 cycles/minute. This cycle
speed was selected because the data acquired from the accelerometer was unreliable at any
higher production speed, even though the sound meter still recorded accurate readings. Thirteen
different configurations for the hard stop were tested and each configuration was tested twice.
Accelerometer data were recorded to a disk as well as read off the signal monitor when the
magnitudes of the peaks were determined. The results of the testing are shown in Table 2.
The force was then calculated from the experimentally determined acceleration, and mass
of the parts that contribute to the collision with the impact stop. Given the volume of material
43

derived from the sponsor's drawings of 59.61 cm3 and the material selected with a density of
7.85 g/m3, a mass of 0.468 kg was determined for the moving parts. The maximum acceleration
measured was 80 times gravitational acceleration, an estimated force of 368 Newtons (82.6 lbf)
was found. This was for a sliding configuration without an attachment to do meaningful work,
so the mass on a production assembly would be higher. Production settings would likely require
higher speeds; therefore, more force must be expected than previously calculated.

4.2

Solid Model Development and Structural Analysis

Before any impact stops were physically machined, solid models of possible designs

were created with SolidWorks 2009, and then the Simulation Xpress feature within SolidWorks
was utilized to calculate the Factor of Safety (FOS) of each design assuming the force used
during our onsite tests at the sponsors factory and current material (A6 Tool Steel). Solid
models were created for seven different stop designs. The seven designs were a standard hard
stop, a standard hard stop with a hole, a hard stop with a cylinder, a hard stop with a cored
cylinder, a solid block of material, a cylinder, and a cylinder with a hole. Figures 16-22 show
the results of the Simulation Xpress analysis on the seven designs. While the factor of safety
changes based on the specific material used, these results are helpful because they reveal the
strength of the designs relative to each other.

44

FIGURE 27: STANDARD HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

FIGURE 28: PROTOTYPE CYLINDRICAL STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

45

FIGURE 29: PROTOTYPE CYLINDRICAL CORED STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

FIGURE 30: STANDARD HARD STOP WITH HOLE STRESS DISTRUBTION.

FIGURE 31: SOLID BLOCK HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

46

FIGURE 32: CYLINDER HARD STOP STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

FIGURE 33: CYLINDER HARD STOP WITH HOLE STRESS DISTRIBUTION.

Table 1 details the FOS of each design assuming it was made of A6 Tool Steel and the same
force was used during testing. These simulation tests reveal that the stop was a very strong
design, which is unlikely to fail under normal circumstances.

47

TABLE 1: FACTOR OF SAFETY OF HARD STOPS

Design
Standard stop
Prototype stop with a cylinder
Prototype stop with hole
Stop with hole
Solid block stop
Cylinder stop
Cylinder stop with hole

Factor of Safety
403
416
247
282
975
119
145

After the computer simulations were completed, it was decided to have the first set of
stops made as hard stops with a cylinder. This decision was made on the similar Factor of Safety
to the original design, with both a reduced mass and surface area. Pending the results of the first
set of stops, new designs with pugs for damping material would be considered.

4.3

Testing Results from Previous Teams Samples Generated at the

Sponsors Location
Samples made of ductile cast iron, gray flake cast iron, 4140 steel, and 1045 steel were
made with cylindrical profiles and flanges for attaching via screws to the assembly. A solenoid
hammer actuated via a foot pedal was connected to 2 force transducers by a threaded connector.
The solenoid has a dial labeled from 1 to 10 to indicate power of the stroke. The assembly, that
is exactly identical to parts used for production at the sponsors facilities, is mounts on aluminum
plates in line with the solenoid. Washers were placed under the sliding block to adjust the height
of all parts to achieve the least resistance to movement.
Testing was done at the sponsor's location using a Casella CEL-6X0 series sound level
meter. The testing at WPI was conducted using a PCB force transducer rated for 5 volts and 500
48

lbs, and NDT-RAM software, and the same sound meter used during the testing at the sponsor's
location.
TABLE 2: PRELIMINARY TEST DATA

Sample

Average
Sound Level
(dB)

Average Peak
Sound
Level(dB)

Average
Acceleration
(Gs)

Standard Hard Stop

6 (ceramic peg and base plate)
Titanium
Al 6061 (solid)
Al 6061 (rounded top)
11
Cast Iron (rounded top)
Cast Iron (3 layer)
Al 380 (3 layer)
9
10
7
Soldered NH or HN
3 (large block)
Standard Hard Stop

87.00
85.30
87.00
87.30
87.35
86.95
87.20
87.20
87.35
85.85
86.90
87.05
87.05
86.70
87.45

114.05
110.95
113.55
113.85
114.65
114.35
114.15
114.35
116.05
113.25
114.70
114.10
114.95
115.10
115.30

68.17
62.90
72.25
70.79
73.99
72.44
74.13
72.35
71.69
78.26
76.05
68.95
71.97
73.66
71.73

Average
Change in
Sound
Level (dB)
0.00
-1.70
1.30
0.30
0.350
-0.05
0.20
0.20
0.35
-1.15
-0.10
0.20
0.05
-0.30
0.50

Standard
Deviation
0.14
0.28
0.14
0.00
0.07
0.07
0.14
0.00
0.07
0.07
0.00
0.14
0.21
0.00
0.07

Results from the preliminary tests were compared against the original impact stop data, shown in
Table 2. The difference between the results of the test sample and that of the stock impact stop
were compared to the standard deviation of the stock impact stop. If the differences in the
readings were greater than three standard deviations of the original impact stop the sample was
considered to have results statistically significant.
A few of the samples have shown encouraging trends that require more investigation to further
improve acoustic performance. A ceramic peg composed of fluorphlogite mica in a borosilicate
glass matrix (trade named Macor) placed in the middle of the standard A6 hardened tool steel
with a base plate made of aluminum showed the most dramatic improvement of noise reduction
with a reduction in sound level of 1.7 dB. A 4 layer configuration composed of A6 tool steel and
49

Al cast 380 alloy also showed promise with a reduction of 1.15 dB. A block cast iron has shown
that an enlarged stop may perform slightly better than the shape currently used for the hard stop.
This may be due to a larger surface area to distribute the impact load over. Based on the current
research, this result was unexpected, and was investigated further. This is also exemplified with
the two samples of cast iron and Al 6061 with rounded top. Both of these samples performed
statistically insignificantly different from their flat topped counterparts.

4.4 Testing Results on the New Materials Generated at WPI

Testing was initially done on cylindrical hard stops composed of individual materials to
evaluate which material is best suited for further testing with the cored. After analysis of the
results was conducted it was determined that the validity of the results was in question due to the
appearance of the decibel output trending upward at a constant rate over time, with one exception
a 4140 steel sample. The graph of the results from this test, including the trendline that showed
the testing apparatus may have been acting inconsistently, is shown in Table 3 and Figure 23.
The red data point in Figure 23 represents the 4140 steel stop which broke the otherwise
increasing trend in sound output. This information led to choosing it as the material/structure
for all future cored prototypes.

50

TABLE 3: PRELIMINARY TESTING RESULTS

Prototype Material
1045 Steel (longitudinal)
Gray Cast Iron
Ductile Cast Iron #1
Ductile Cast Iron #2
Ductile Cast Iron #3
Phosphor Bronze
Dry Bronze
Oil Bronze
4140 Steel (Transverse)
4140 Steel (Longitudinal) #1
4140 Steel (Longitudinal) #2

dB Output
102.20
102.89
103.37
103.24
103.08
103.47
104.09
104.54
103.27
104.13
104.80

105.00
104.50

dB Output

104.00
103.50
103.00
102.50
102.00
0

10

12

Test Run Number

FIGURE 34: PRELIMINARY TESTING RESULTS.

Comprehensive testing was conducted later to prove repeatability of our results.

Validated tests were next conducted on all samples with various materials/geometries. The
results of these tests are shown in Table 4. Several interesting observations were made. The
ductile cast iron is a better candidate for an impact stop than gray cast iron. The carbon content
51

is similar so the only difference is the microstructure. This implies that nodular graphite phases
have better acoustic response upon impact than flakes. It can also be observed that cast bronze
responded better than either the dry porous or oil impregnated bronzes due to sound propagation
differences through air, oil, and solid metal. Extruded materials showed better damping effects
when aligned with the axis of extrusion, likely related to reduced grain boundary area in the
direction of the sound wave propagation.
Changes to the material of the hammer were made and led to additional significant
decreases in dBA values, with the exception of gray cast iron. Cylindrical samples that were
prepared with a core all performed better than the solid cylindrical samples, likely related to the
low hardness of the bronze. Samples that were made of a single material but coated with either
polyurethane foam or silicone showed noticeable improvements in acoustic damping.

52

Prototype

Ducitle Cast Iron Hammer

4140 Steel Hammer
Gray Cast Iron Hammer
Cast Bronze Core
Porous Bronze Core
Silicone Coating*
Oil Impregnated Bronze Core
Air Core
Silicone Core
Foam Core & Coating
Foam Coating*
1045 Steel Hammer
Ductile Cast Iron
Oil Impregnated Bronze
1045 Steel (Longitudional)
Cast Bronze
Porous Bronze
A6 Tool Steel (BASELINE)
6061 Aluminum
4140 (Transverse)
1045 Steel (Transverse)
Gray Cast Iron
99.5 100.0 100.5 101.0 101.5 102.0 102.5 103.0 103.5 104.0 104.5

Average dBA Output

FIGURE 35: FINAL RESULTS.

4.5

Microstructural/dBA Output Correlations

Several observations were made about the microstructures of the materials that were

tested and their dBA output. Since the two steels tested were manufactured in the form of
extruded bars, the grains were elongated along the axis of extrusion. Thus, stops were
manufactured with the direction of loading both along and perpendicular to the axis of extrusion.

53

This means the sound wave encountered a different amount of grain boundary area traveling
through these samples. In the case of the 1045 steel, the stop manufactured perpendicular to the
extrusion axis performed better by approximately 0.7dBA. A similar trend was observed for the
4140. Literature review has shown that vibrations that turn into sound waves travel easier along
grain boundaries than through grains which explain the better performance of the transversal
samples (16). The gray and nodular (ductile) cast irons had almost exactly the same wt%
composition of carbon and iron, the difference being graphite morphology, thin flakes for the
gray cast iron and spherical nodules for the ductile cast iron. The ductile cast iron output was
approximately 1.2 dBA lower than that of gray cast iron which indicates the effects of graphite
and its morphology on sound. The oil impregnated porous bronze performed approximately 0.2
dBA better than the dry porous bronze. The material and processing were exactly the same in
both cases, the only difference being the oil present in the pores of one and air in those of the
other. This indicates that oil has a better dampening effect on the vibrations than air.
Developing a relationship between relevant material properties and sound output was one
of the goals of this project. After all the data had been collected, various plots were made
involving sound output, hardness, Youngs Modulus, mass, density, and mechanical loss
coefficient. An interesting relation was found between the ratio of Youngs Modulus/Hardness
and dBA output (i.e. E/Hv vs. dBA). Figure 36 displays the plot, and the trend line illustrates
this relationship. The relationship indicates that for a material to have reduced sound output it
should have either a low hardness or a high modulus of elasticity. However, it should be noted
that in order to further validate this relationship, more data points on various materials are
required.

54

9.0E+08
8.0E+08
7.0E+08

E / Hv

6.0E+08
5.0E+08
4.0E+08
3.0E+08
2.0E+08
1.0E+08
0.0E+00
103.2

103.4

103.6

103.8

104

104.2

dBA Output

FIGURE 36: SOUND OUTPUT CORRELATION.

55

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The best results from the battery of testing conducted were produced by the solid bronze
cored stop configuration coupled with the nodular cast iron hammer with a reduction of 2.4 dBA
over the current stop. An extra dBA was gained simply by changing the material the hammer
was made of. As our results have shown, a coating on the hammer is likely to be beneficial as
well as a modification in configuration.
Based on our testing and results, microstructure does have an impact on the dBA output
of the impacted components as previously discussed. Since our examination was on a broad
range of material types and limited samples of each, these microstructural correlations cannot be
generalized. It is recommended that a narrower examination of a specific family of materials,
i.e., steels, bronzes, etc. is conducted. An even narrower examination of how the differences in
microstructure of one material, as a result of different heat treatments, is also recommended.
In the case of nodular versus gray/flake cast irons, the microstructure is the only
difference between the two materials. The dBA response of the two had a definite difference in
favor of the nodular cast iron, and thus, it can be concluded that the microstructure, namely the
graphite morphology, played a role. Further investigation is recommended as to how exactly the
two microstructures influence the acoustical output.
For the 1045 steel, a difference was seen between prototype stops manufactured along
and across the axis of extrusion, in favor of the longitudinal direction for better sound damping.
As our research has indicated, this can be attributed to the lower grain boundary area present in
this direction to facilitate sound travel. Further investigation is recommended into the effects of
grain boundary area on acoustical output.
56

In the case of porous bronzes, oil impregnated performed better. Since the only
difference between the two materials was that one had pores filled with air and the other with oil,
the improved response can be attributed to the presence of the oil. It is recommended that
studies will investigate the effects of different materials being placed inside the pores, especially
those that have known acoustical dampening characteristics.
The composite stops all had lower dBA output (better dampening characteristics) than the
solid configurations. The coupling of a structural material with an experimental dampening core
is at the base of the best performing combination. The solid bronze core provided the best
response from all materials tested, and further investigation is recommended to understand why,
especially since the porous bronzes were favored from previous research. Coatings also
enhanced the acoustical dampening although their use was limited during the testing. It is also
recommended that evaluation be conducted on a wider variety of core and coating materials.
In order to make the final determination on whether a particular stop and hammer
configuration will be suitable, all mechanical requirements must be determined. The load testing
conducted at our sponsors location was on a machine that did not have all the components used
in production connected to the slide, which affected our calculations since mass and acceleration
were used to equate force. Also, the machine was run at a fraction of the production speed and
had a redesigned cam operating mechanism. Taking these three factors into account, it is likely
that the forces on the impact stops will be larger during actual production.
Since the top face of the stop will be experiencing rapid, repetitive impacts, a layered
stop design is recommended for investigation: a structural material that is able to resist the
compressive loading and a material cap with very high fracture and impact toughness. It is

57

recommended that joining methods such as diffusion bonding, friction stir welding, and brazing
be further investigated to join the hard cap to the body of the impact stop. Additionally, a
methodical approach (minimizing the number of variables changing in each prototype) to a
layered stop design is also recommended.

58

APPENDIX A: JOINING PROCESSES REFERENCE TABLES

TABLE 4: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS

59

TABLE 5: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8

60

TABLE 6: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8 (CONTINUED)

TABLE 7: COMMON BRAZE FILLER METALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AWS A5.8 (CONTINUED)

61

TABLE 8: DIFFUSION WELDING COMBINATIONS OF METALS AND ALLOYS

62

APPENDIX B: SOLID MODEL ASSEMBLIES

FIGURE 37: SPONSORSS MECHANISM ASSEMBLY REAR VIEW.

63

FIGURE 38: SPONSORS MECHANISM ASSEMBLY FRONT VIEW.

64

Yoke
Dwg No. 37505FU

Locating Key
Dwg No. 37505GK

Ground Pin
Dwg No. 24404
Impact Hammer
Dwg No. 37505CT

Impact Stop
Dwg No. 3799BK

Vertical Gib
Dwg No. 3604DS

Ground Washer
Dwg No. 24173

Slide Housing
Dwg. No. 37505MT

Slide
Dwg. No. 37505CS

Overtravel Pin
Dwg No. 37505MK

FIGURE 39: SPONSORS MECHANISM EXPLODED ASSMEBLY VIEW WITH DRAWING DESIGNATIONS.

65

APPENDIX C: ETCHANTS
TABLE 9: ETCHANTS

Etchant

Components

Materials Etched

2% Nital

2ml Nitric Acid (HN03) & 98ml Ethyl

Alcohol

1045 Carbon Steel, 4140 Low

Alloy Steel, Gray Cast Iron, &
Ductile Cast Iron

Currans Reagent

Kellers Reagent

10g Ferric Chloride (FeCl3), 30ml

Hydrochloric Acid (HCl), & 120ml
Water (H2O)
2.5ml Nitric Acid (HNO3), 1.5ml
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl), 1ml
Hydrofluoric Acid (HF), & 95ml Water
(H2O)

Porous Bronze, Dry Bronze, &

Oil Impregnated Bronze

Aluminum 6061

66

APPENDIX D: RELEVANT MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND PROCESSING

The following table lists the material properties of metals which were pertinent to this
project. The hardness, average mass of a solid prototype, and sound output values were
obtained during testing and the remaining properties were obtained with the assistance of Granta
software.
TABLE 10: MATERIAL PROPERTIES AND PROCESSING

Material

Mechanical
Loss
Coefficient
(tan delta)

Youngs
Modulus
(Pa)

Yield
Strength
(Pa)

Hardness

(HV)

Average
mass of solid
prototype (g)

1045
Steel

5.85E-04

2.12E+
11

6.33E+08

380.4

15.23

4140
Steel

5.15E-04

2.12E+
11

6.55E+08

332.0

15.54

Processing
and Heat
Treatment

Extruded,
Tempered
at 425C &
H2O
quenched
Extruded,
Normalize
d

Gray
1.11E+
Continuou
14.03
Flake 2.25E-02
1.37E+08
211.5
11
sly Cast
Cast Iron
Ductile
1.71E+
Continuou
13.95
1.20E-03
3.56E+08
209.5
Cast Iron
11
sly Cast
Phospho
8.00E+
17.34
1.40E-04
1.85E+08
97.0
Cast
r Bronze
10
Aluminu
7.10E+
Wrought,
5.05
1.05E-03
2.42E+08
113.0
m 6061
10
T6
A6 Tool
2.11E+
Air15.44
3.56E-05
2.10E+09
674.0
Steel
11
hardened
Dry
Powder
11.92
*
*
*
*
Bronze
Metallurgy
Oil
Powder
11.96
*
*
*
*
Bronze
Metallurgy
Note: * indicates material properties not obtained in Granta or during testing.

Sound
output (dBA)

103.60

103.75

104.03
103.27
103.46
103.63
103.55
103.52
103.32

indicates that the hardness readings were originally calculated in a Rockwell a

scale and then converted to Vickers.

67

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